Wednesday night at Beasley was a pretty miserable time for a lot of Vandals. The clearly superior talent of the Pac-12 team showed most of the night, asserting its dominance down low with Brock Motum and on the perimeter containing Idaho’s starting backcourt in Mike McChristian and Connor Hill.
Specifically miserable that evening was forward Marcus Bell, who happens to be Idaho’s best athlete. The problem is his head. Bell was constantly out of position defensively, and constantly getting frustrated with each thing that didn’t go well, building up until he was seemingly incapable of executing anything properly. Bell ended the night with more fouls and turnovers than rebounds, points and blocks.
Redemption was the game on Saturday night. Bell was a seemingly different player against UC Davis, and his athleticism was a key contributor to Idaho closing out the win in its Cowan Spectrum opener.
“It’s coming. He’s a good kid, he works hard. Yeah he lost his composure in the Washington State game, he learned from it,” Verlin said. “I thought he played with a lot of energy and a lot of emotion and I was proud of him.”
Standing at 6-foot-9-inches, it was especially impressive to see Bell get three steals in only 17 minutes of work, also collecting four rebounds. The forward only has one start, but the more minutes Bell is able to play the more Idaho is going to be a better and well-rounded team. Bell gives Idaho the ability to not lose much when Wendell Faines gets into foul trouble, and it allows Kyle Barone to continue being a threat down low. Against Washington State, Barone was effectively eliminated from Idaho’s offense without Faines and Bell on the floor.
Bell has the potential to be Idaho’s best rebounder — if a ball so much as touches his finger tips he brings it in like vacuum suction — and Idaho’s best shot blocker.
“What I need to do with this team is I have to get the athletes on the floor,” Verlin said. “That will be able to help our defense.”
Bell needs more minutes, but that will be entirely up to him to get himself mentally in position to get those minutes.
Player ratings v. UC Davis
Mike McChristian
McChristian had his worst game of the season, turning the ball over twice in the opening minutes and finishing the game with seven minutes. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him start the game against Eastern Washington on the bench.
Kyle Barone
Barone was double teamed often, but still ended up with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Barone got the job done at the charity stripe, manufacturing offense late in the game
Stephen Madison
Madison did everything the junior leader is expected to do to will this Idaho team to victory. Twenty-one points on 50 percent shooting, 7-8 from the charity stripe, six rebounds and he effectively drove to the bucket all night. Madison is close to a complete breakout.
Connor Hill
Another rough night for Hill, who took a lot of shots with pressure in his face and ended the night with 11 points and three turnovers in 28 minutes of action. Hill did the job at the free throw line and did a better job of getting to the rim.
Robert Harris
Harris had an impressive Vandal debut. Didn’t have a great box score, but showed quickness and ability to get to the bucket.
Marcus Bell
Athleticism, athleticism, athleticism. Can he consistently keep a cool head and maintain confidence?
Matt Borton
Went 2-2 from three, but that’s all Idaho needs out of Borton. Did a good job of not taking bad looks at the basket.
Wendell Faines
Solid but not great. Solid rebounding, a few good inside buckets. Didn’t get in to foul trouble.
Sean Kramer can be reached at [email protected]